Trish Stratus: Stratusfaction Guaranteed

March 19, 2000

The world was introduced to a woman from Toronto, Ontario, Canada that would go on to change a profession forever. Her real name is Patricia Anne Stratigias, but the world knows her better as Trish Stratus.

March 19, 2000...the night Trish Stratus graced us with her presence
Photo credit: WWE.com

Before WWE came a-knocking on her door, she was a renowned fitness model that was featured on many magazines, including American Muscle, MuscleMag International, and Oxygen Magazine. With her blonde hair, Hollywood looks, and toned figure, she had a look that emulated comic book heroines and in some ways put many comic book heroines to shame. In fact, Trish mentioned in various interviews that she was aiming for the comic book look during her days as a fitness model. Needless to say, she succeeded. Her look was attainable to many women, especially those who thought lifting would make them look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, her fitness career might have never happened if it wasn't for a strike at York University, where she studied biology and kinesiology and played soccer and field hockey. Because of the strike, she had to do something else, so she ended up working as a receptionist at a local gym. It was then when she was approached to do a test shoot for MuscleMag International. They liked it so much that she ended up on the cover of their May 1998 issue and was signed to a two-year contract. For the next six months, she worked on her body and transformed it into a literal work of art, showcasing an athletic, strong yet feminine body, landing her numerous magazine covers in the process. Even before joining WWE, she wasn't all just looks as she joined Big Daddy Donnie & Jeff Marek as the third host of Live Audio Wrestling on Toronto Sports Radio, The FAN 590. This was right up her alley being a wrestling fan evern since childhood, idolizing Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage among others. Her modeling work caught the attention of WWE (then known as the WWF). In November 1999, she was signed to a multi-year contract with WWE. She trained with Ron Huchison at Sully's Gym, long before there was such a thing as the WWE Performance Center. Four months after signing her contract, she made her official television debut on Sunday Night Heat, scouting Test and Prince Albert and would form the stable known at T & A the following night on Raw.

If she's not in your top five "best bodies in WWE history" list, you need to reevaluate your life. Just saying.
Photo credit: WWE.com

While many saw this woman with a perfect body, very few knew that she wanted to be more than just that. While she spent most of 2000 and some of 2001 as a manager to Test, Albert, and Val Venus, she would eventually leave the manageral spotlight and begin to carve her name as a wrestler. During that time, women's wrestling was NOT taken as serious by the fans yet Trish didn't give up. She worked her ass off to show the fans that women could kick ass just as well as the guys could, and be sexy when they HAD to be and when they WANTED to be. It took some time, but eventually folks started to appreciate Trish for what she could do in the ring. However, the various photoshoots WWE had outside the ring definitely made sure people knew that Trish could bring the sexiness outside the ring just as well as she could bring the skills IN the ring. At Survivor Series 2001, Trish would go on to win the then-vacant WWE Women's Championship in a Six-Pack Challenge, which featured Jazz, Might Molly and fellow Hall-of-Famers Ivory, Jacqueline, and her bestie Lita. When Trish got done in WWE, she would go on to become a 7x WWE Women's Champion (a record that would stand for years until Charlotte Flair came around) and a one-time WWE Hardcore champion. She would acquired more accolades in her career, including Diva of the Decade, being the youngest female WWE Hall-of-Famer ever, being the first female Cauliflower Alley Club Iron Mike Award winner, and this summer will be inducted into the George/Lou Threz Professional Wrestling Hall-of-Famer by becoming the first female wrestler to receive the Lou Thesz Award.

Trish could have had a very good career with her looks alone and no one would have thought differently of her. Instead, she challenged the status quo and ushered her own STRATUS QUO and helped changed so much about the world: from how female athletes are viewed, how women's wrestling is looked at, how women with muscles are viewed...and all three for the better. Now, is there work to be done in all three? Definitely. But we have come so far from where we were back in Trish's arrival and we are still moving in the right direction. While her wrestling days are behind her, we know that Trish will continue to set an example for so many people around the world as a mother and a fitness icon. How much of an guarantee are we giving this?! How about 100% STRATUSFACTION GUARANTEED?! Doesn't get any better than that!

Physical perfection
Photo credit: WWE.com

For more on Trish, make sure to follow her on her social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trishstratuscom
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trishstratuscom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trishstratuscom

And make sure to check out her website at https://www.trishstratus.com

Kaitlyn Gone from WWE

She will always be known as "The Hybrid Diva"!

Former NPC figure competitor Celeste Bonin aka Kaitlyn is (as of today) no longer under contract to WWE. If you think about it, this shouldn't come as a surprise to a lot of people based off the news of her being engaged to PJ Braun. No, we are in no ways saying that her engagement has anything to do with her departure. But this isn't the first time a Diva has left the company shortly after getting engaged. Eve Torres did this one year ago around the same time, and in 2006, Trish Stratus left the company. Both ladies were able to leave on their own terms: Trish retired with the title and Eve put over Kaitlyn in her home state of Texas.

Kaitlyn's departure will be no different, as she will be taking on her best friend in real life, AJ Lee on ION Television tonight. Usually when one does right in the eyes of WWE, you are able to have your own moment as sort of a "thank you" gesture and not be embarrassed, and it looks like Kaitlyn will get that "thank you" gesture tonight.  Besides her engagement, apparently she is working on something big according to PJ. We can't wait to see what the former Divas Champion and NXT Season 3winner has in store for everyone now that she's not a part of WWE. We hope to have something posted about it once we get word on it.

On behalf of FitGems Nation, we would like to say "Thank You" for everything you did during NXT Season Three and during your time as a WWE Diva. We look forward to seeing what's next in your life!

Miss WWE Fitness Diva Tournament (Big Cross-Promotion Event)

Which past/present WWE Diva will be crowned Miss WWE Fitness Diva less than a week before Wrestlemania 30?! Photo credit to the original photographers. Put together on Picmonkey.

WWE will be celebrating a milestone this year, as it will be hosting the 30th Anniversary of Wrestlemania on April 6th at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. To celebrate this historic mark in sports-entertainment history, Diva Physique, Fit Model TV, and FitGems Nation are teaming up to host a special event: the 1st-ever Miss WWE Fitness Diva Tournament! Beginning on Monday, January 6th, you get to vote for who you feel is the fittest WWE Diva of all time! 16 women from WWE's past and present have been selected based on their incredible physiques, from the most muscular to the leanest to the most out-of-this-world figures, these woman did their parts in being above and beyond awesome when it comes to having Diva bodies in pro wrestling.

The women are (in no order):

Eve Torres

Chyna

Beth Phoenix

Victoria

Natalya

Trish Stratus

Ivory

Mickie James

Torrie Wilson

Michelle McCool

Tori

Jamie Keyes

Jazz

Sable

Jacqueline

Kaitlyn

First round of voting begins on January 6th and end on January 26th. The eight women who get the most votes will go to to the next round, which will begin on January 27th and will end on February 16th. Final Four voting will begin on February 17th and will end on March 9th. On March 10th, the Miss WWE Fitness Diva Championship round will begin and voting will conclude on March 31st. Miss WWE Fitness Diva will be announced on April 2nd. Tiebreakers will be done as needed during the end of each round, and they will be one-day tiebreakers. 

BOOKMARK THIS LINK: http://www.misterpoll.com/polls/587645/. You won't be able to access the ballot until Monday, though. 

Best of luck to everyone. May the fittest prevail!

For more on the sites that are hosting this event, check out the links to their main sites and social media links below:

Diva Physique

Main website: http://www.divaphysique.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divaphysique

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divaphysique

Instagram: http://instagram.com/divaphysique

Fit Model TV

Main website: http://www.fitmodeltv.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fitmodeltv

FitGems Nation

Main website: http://www.fitgemsnation.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitgemsnation

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fitgemsnation

Instagram: http://instagram.com/fitgemsnation

Fox Sports One and the Bodybuilding/Fitness World...Could It Happen?

For those that are sports fanatics, a new multi-sports channel called Fox Sports One will be launched on August 17 of this year. This is a big thing as it will give sports-news juggernaut ESPN a run for their money. Currently, the main sports that will be part of Fox Sports One are college basketball and football, MLB (in 2014), NASCAR, NFL (ancillary programs), soccer and UFC.

Photo credit: Fox Sports MSN website

On that note, FitGems was thinking...can Fox Sports One eventually be a future home for our sport? ESPN used to be the home of bodybuilding events. A lot of you can recall the days that the Fitness America Pageant was broadcast on ESPN2 and for some, it launched their careers in a big way. I owe them a reason  for me even FINDING OUT about the sport of bodybuilding. But sadly, that's no longer the case on ESPN and I highly doubt they will ever show events like that again...not at long as spelling bees and hot dog eating contests are telecast on there. That, and more OPINIONATED material rather than actual sports news and sporting events.

Fox Sports One has the opportunity to truly become an alternative to ESPN by broadcasting some of the events of the bodybuilding world such as the Arnold, Olympia, and Nationals. The market seems to be out there. I mean, people watch "crap" (and I'm using it the nicest way I humanly can) such as Honey Boo Boo and the Kardashians on a weekly basis, so why not? There are crazier things on TV...things that get big ratings, BTW. And if it can't be a cable network, maybe make it an online channel for apps or something. It seems like with the emergence of divisions that are less about size and more about a more attainable look (bikini division, I'm looking right at you) now would be a great time to truly take this sport to a mainstream level in terms of exposure.

What do you think? Should Fox Sports One look into having bodybuilding (and by that, I mean all the divisions) on their upcoming channel, or even with the more "mainstream-look" divisions, the sport is too "cult-like" for mainstream television? Comment below or leave a comment at our Facebook fan page at https://www.facebook.com/fitgemsnation.

WWE Divas Division Adding Some Muscle...Literally!

There were plans that Paul Levesque aka Triple H was going to rebuild the Divas division via development, and it looks like based off today's news, the rumors appear to be true. Announced by various wrestling sites, IFBB bikini competitors Lexi Kaufman and Christina Vargas have signed WWE development deals.

Get ready, WWE Universe! They are coming to take over the Divas division!
Credit: Christina Vargas's Facebook

While most wrestling fans are just now finding out about this, we at FitGems Nation (as well as our good friends over at Fit Model TV)have known about this for months. In fact, fans of Lexi and Christina have known about this for months if they have followed them on their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. To say we are proud of these ladies would be an understatement. The WWE Divas division is in need of some serious muscle right now, and WWE has LITERALLY added that with these two ladies on the scene. 

The hardcore wrestling fans (aka marks and the IWC, which stands for internet wrestling community) are gonna be hard to please because they didn't come from the indies, but if they knew what we know, they have nothing to worry about. Both ladies have put in hard work for years to attain their physiques, and they will put in the effort to entertain you as WWE Divas. We hope they will make it far and take WWE by storm. We're rooting for you both!

Check out the links below for more on WWE's newest developmental divas:

Lexi Kaufman

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lexi-Kaufman/171733126219865

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lexi_Kaufman

Instagram: http://instagram.com/lexi_kaufman

Christina Vargas:

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/CVargas26

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VARGAS26

Instagram: http://instagram.com/christinavargas

The Warrens to be on National TV

Photo credit: Bodybuilding.com

It's awesome to see those in our industry to be part of mainstream television. On her Twitter account (http://twitter.com/trishwarren), Trish Warren mentioned that her and her husband Branch will be on the Discovery Channel in the near future! Here's her exact Tweet:

Branch and I filmed a documentary for the Discovery Channel, I will keep you posted on when it will air!

 

 

So as soon as I hear word of this, I'll pass this information down to you all. So, if you haven't gotten the Discovery Channel, now would be a great time to get it. Congrats to the Warrens! Hope many of you all tune in!

Fitness Stars Invade WWE; A Change in the Air?!

Are we looking at the return of fitness muscle in WWE?
From Left to Right: Kaitlyn (Celeste Bonin), Aksana (Zivile Raudoniene), Jamie (Brittany Beede)
Photo credit: WWE.com

As some of you know, I happen to be a big fan of wrestling, especially WWE. One of their big things happens to be their Divas, the names for their female wrestlers, or more appropriately, their female entertainers. For the most part, the Divas are seemingly fit, but not in the realm of fitness/figure competitors, at least not since the days of Trish Stratus, Chyna, and Torrie Wilson. The closest to that kind of physique right now is Beth Phoenix...at least until this past Tuesday.

This past Tuesday was the season premiere of WWE NXT, and this season's an all-Divas season. I mentioned earlier on this blog that Aksana (Zivile Raudoniene) and Jamie (Brittany Beede) are two fitness stars that are a part of the cast this season, and as broken first by Isaac Hinds, we would find out that ANOTHER fitness star would join the NXT rankings.

Before NXT even began, WWE NXT was down one Diva (Aolesia) due to some outside complications that surfaced before the season began. So they teased a new Diva coming in for Pro Vickie Guerrero. That diva would be Kaitlyn, but for us, we know her by the name of Celeste Bonin.

Celeste's a former NPC figure competitor who was contemplating going to bodybuilding, but obviously that is out the window now with her being in the WWE. Her look alone has definitely caught the eye of WWE fans, collectively known as the WWE Universe.

This article is not about how well they did (For those interested in THAT, go to my NXT column on Diva-Fiva.com. WARNING: I get a bit personal and carried away a bit when I do wrestling talk.). Rather, this article is about how it seems like the winds of change are fast approaching WWE, and possibly mainstream entertainment. Let's be honest, things are not the same anymore. Thin is not in when it comes to what people LIKE to see. It seems like those with a bit of meat on their bones are being more praised. No, I'm not saying that female bodybuilding is becoming the norm. That could be some time, as I don't think the mainstream is quite ready for that yet. But there are those seemingly willing to give those in figure/fitness/bikini a chance to showcase themselves in the mainstream eye.

I might be jumping the gun a bit, but there's a good chance that these three ladies in this aricle might be going something more than they realize. They might holding the keys to the future of entertainment, possibly the future of what women's aspire to be. Maybe not wreslter, but fit yet feminine women who can do anything they can put their minds into. The Original American Gladiators did it in the 1980s. Kiana Tom did it in the mid-1990s into early 2000s. These three (regardless on how long they last in the competition) just might be the start of something big in the world of mainstream entertainment. Only time will tell whether these three help make a difference by just being on TV, but if their past achievements are of any indication...I wouldn't bet again any of these ladies and the influences they can bring in in the short-term and long-term.

Pics of Christine in Times Square and Vegas Strip

Apparently Milverstead Publishing is wasting little time in making sure the whole world knows about their newest acquisition. Here's a couple of photos from the campaign.

(Photo Credit: Milverstead Publishing's Facebook Fan Page)

To view more pics from Times Square and the Vegas Strip, as well as more info on Christine's partnership with Milverstead Publishing, click here.

Zivile's FCW Name Is...

Well, as announced on Diva Dirt today, the wrestling name for IFBB Figure Pro Zivile Raudoniene will be Aksana, at least that's what it will be for her in Flordia Championship Wrestling (FCW), which is World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s developmental territory. I prefer this name than her previous name, Olga. That screamed EPIC FAIL!! But I can definitely live with Aksana.

Here's her profile pic curteousy of FCW's official website:

From what I've gathered, she's supposed to make her FCW debut sometime next month. There are a few pics out from the taping right now, but since the show hasn't aired yet, I won't actually post a pic from the tapings. I can though give you the link to some pics I found of her FCW debut if you click here for them. I think she looks great, and if you were to have told me a few months ago that the current IFBB Figure International champion would be heading to the biggest sports-entertainment company on Earth (WWE), I would have though you were crazy. But now, it seems like Zivile is well on her way to being a television star.

I'm pulling for Aksana to do well in FCW and eventually WWE. I hope she follows the paths of other fitness stars such as Trish Stratus, Torrie Wilson, and Lisa Maria Varon (Victoria in WWE, currently Tara in TNA) and become a big star in wrestling.

From the FitGems Nation...Kick some a$$, Aksana!!!! :)

IFBB Advisory Notice regarding Video Rights

For those want to capture video footage at pro events...you might want to read this before getting any bright ideas:

This was taken directly from the IFBB Website
(http://www.ifbbpro.com/news/advisory-notice-082009/):




Can't say I didn't warn ya! :)

Zivile Raudoniene...WWE Diva?!

Yes, you read the title right. The 2009 Figure International Champion Zivile Raudoniene may be exchanging high heels and sparkling suits for spandex and wrestling boots in the near future, if the rumors are true. According to an article on Flex Magazine, Zivile will NOT be competing at this year's Figure Olympia because she's rumored to be heading to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).



(Zivile....future WWE Women's or Divas Champion? It could happen...)

I'll admit, this news came completely out of left field when I found out this news. This obviously means that the Figure Olympia has quite a shake-up with one of the top contenders out. But the big question is...assuming the rumor is true, how big of a move would this be for Zivile? Personally, I think this could end up being a HUGE move, if the right cards are played. Looking at the big picture, Zivile will get a far more mainstream exposure opportunity that being in the IFBB. Actually, come to think of it, this would be a big step for for the sport of figure itself as one of their own would get I mean, the IFBB is big, but nowhere near as mainstream as WWE, despite its less-than-stellar outlook by the mainstream media.

Of course, should Zivile enter the ring in the very near future, she's going to have to prove herself in a time where you have to earn respect by the fans. These days, believe it or not, a good deal of wrestling fans attempt to watch women's wrestling for the wrestling, and not just for the eye candy, as in years past. That's why so many people admire those such as Trish Stratus, Lita, Molly Holly, Chyna, etc. As a long-time fan of WWE, I wish Zivile nothing more than the best and hope she has what it takes to be sucessful in the WWE.

Who knows, maybe someone like Zivile is what WWE needs right now...